Planet Courier awards $32,000 in Bursaries

The Foundation for Athletic Excellence (FAEQ) awarded a total of $32,000 in scholarships to 10 student-athletes thanks to Planet Courier.

The Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence recently awarded a total of $32,000 in bursaries to 10 student-athletes, thanks to Planète Courrier, which has been a contributor to the FAEQ sponsorship program for several years. “It’s very important to us at Planète Courrier to give back to young people while also involving our employees,” David Lavigne, President, Planète Courrier said. “So as to develop team spirit, promote healthy lifestyle habits and get to know the student-athletes we support, who fill us with such inspiration.”

Among the recipients were several local athletes. There were two road cyclists, Laval’s Matisse Julien, earning $2,000 and Arnaud Beaudoin of Mount Royal, also a $2,000 recipient. Judoka Arthur Margelidon from Montreal picked-up a $2,000 bursary, softball player Léa Chevrier of Saint Lazare earned a $4,000 award as did diver Laurent Gosselin-Paradis from Ile Bizard.

The 18 year-old Julien was the gold medalist in the junior category at the Quebec Championships in September 2020 and a silver medalist in the junior division at the Canadian Championships in June 2019.

He studied natural sciences at Collège Lionel-Groulx and maintained an academic average of 88% in the fall semester.Julien would like to work in the field of mechanical engineering. He is interested in physics, problem solving and project work. The cyclist hopes to stand out at the next World Juniors in order to achieve his main sporting goal of securing a contract with a professional team within the next two years.

Beaudoin was the winner of two of the three junior races during the Contrecoeur Chronos in the summer of 2020 as well as the winner of the Rimouski International Succession Tour in July 2018.

The 19 year-old Beaudoin studied natural sciences, pure and applied sciences profile, at Cégep André-Grasset.

He is also studying at Dorval Aviation to obtain his private pilot license. Beaudoin plans to study in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering and eventually earn an MBA. The cyclist dreams of shining among the seniors on the Quebec scene, but also in Canada.

Margelidon was the silver medalist at the Grand Slam in Tbilisi, Georgia, in March 2021 and a bronze medalist at the Grand Slam of Antalya, Turkey, in April 2021, and in Budapest, Hungary, in October 2020.

The 27 year-old is studying for his baccalaureate in physical activity, kinesiology profile, at the University of Quebec in Montreal with the goal to become a kinesiologist. He intends to give back to his sport and help the next generation of athletes after his athletic career is over. The judoka is currently training for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and plans to stay in competition until the Paris Games in 2024.

Gosselin-Paradis paired with Ethan Pitman to take the gold in the 10m synchronized event at the Grand Prix in Madrid, Spain in February 2020. He was sixth on the 10m platform at the Canadian Winter Championships in December of 2019.

The 20 year-old Gosselin-Paradis studied remotely at Florida Virtual Global School and has maintained an academic average of 90% since beginning his course in 2020 and plans to study at Concordia University next year. Gosselin-Paradis would like to work in marketing and real estate and is pursuing his dream of competing at the Olympics.

Chevrier has been selected as part of the Quebec team that will represent the province at the 2022 Canada Games.

She was the top pitcher at the U16 Canadian Championship in August 2019, helping the Rebelles to claim the tournament bronze medal.

Chevrier studied in Secondary V at Collège Bourget and maintained an academic average of 84% and will be studying crime intervention techniques at John Abbott College starting in August. Her future career path is leaning towards becoming a lawyer. On the diamond,the 17 year-old Chevrier has hopes of playing for Team Canada as well as to play and study at an American university, win gold at the Canadian Championships and go podium at the 2022 Canada Games with Team Quebec.